Manchester United players have returned to training after their EFL Cup triumph after Southampton

"It was August 2001, three months after the favourite season of my professional career had ended in a blaze of trophies and a place in the Champions League, and Manchester United's fans wanted to let Liverpool know what they thought of our unprecedented achievement.

"We'd become the first English club to win both domestic cup competitions, as well as the UEFA Cup but, unsurprisingly, there was no recognition from Old Trafford.

"United's fans dubbed it the 'Mickey Mouse Treble', two years after completing their own treble. They told us ours was inferior.

"I've thought about that banner more and more since last Sunday, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic took centre stage at Wembley and won United the EFL Cup. One down, two to go. Would they call it the Mickey Mouse Treble at the end of this season?

"United are in an outstanding position to emulate what we achieved under Gerard Houllier.

"The League Cup has been secured, the Europa League looks there for the taking and the only possible cloud on the horizon is the collision with Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final."